1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power operated device for cutting plugs in the scalp of a patient undergoing a hair transplant operation which combines multiple punch cutting tips with a single punch cutting tip, in which all of the tips are removable. More particularly, this invention relates to a portable, power operated unit combining the capability to make multiple plug cuts in broad areas of the scalp and single plug cuts in narrower areas of the scalp to facilitate hair transplant operations, incorporating removable tips to facilitate replacement.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Manual single punch cutting tools and power driven single punch cutting tools for hair transplant operations are known. The latter are described, for example, in two literature articles "Miniature Drill Expedites Hair Transplantation", Jirayr Tezel, M.D., CUTIS, Cutaneous Medicine for the Practioner, Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 461-462 (April 1970); and "Adjunct in Hair Transplantation: The Power Activated Punch", Jirayr Tezel, M.D., Dermatology Digest, Vol. 6, pp. 21-34 (April 1967). A manual single punch with removable cutting head is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,855--(Tezel) See also U.S Pat. No. 4,210,145--(Nestor and Devine), Surgical Hole Cutter for Square Hole Transplant Plugs.
A multiple punch power driven unit is known from U.S Des. Pat. No. 220,987, Frank A. Ballentoni. Power driven punches have several advantages, for example, generally many more incisions can be made in a given period, thereby reducing the patient sitting time for a given number of plugs. The incisions can often be made with less discomfort to the patient and also with less fatigue to the doctor. Naturally, power driven multiple punch devices display these advantages more so than single punch power driven cutting devices.
Nevertheless, for many areas of the patient's scalp or to fill in spaces where a greater density of plugs may be required or desired for cosmetic reasons, it is often necessary to make only a single incision at a time. Rather than changing equipment for changing from multiple to single or from single to multiple incisions it would be highly desireable and advantageous to be able to use a single power driven device capable of easily shifting from a single punch capability to a multiple punch capability. However, no device meeting this objective is known to the inventor.